Hypelist

This MediaNote was presented only to the 9:10 classes.

Craigslist is--if nothing else--functional. There are categories. There are ads with brief descriptions. Maybe there's a photo. And some way to contact the seller.

That's it. No hot models. No famous celebrities. No high-end direction. Just stuff for sale.

Could Craigslist be improved? Some advertising students think so. NPR reports.

Questions...

•How many of you have used Craigslist?

•Why is selling your old stuff (and buying someone else's old stuff) a big business?

•How could Craigslist be made better for the buyer or seller?

•Can you sell used stuff by imagining a target customer, and what that customer's dream life might be? What types of used stuff might be sold that way?

Taking Sides on Neutrality

"Net Neutrality" has been an ongoing issue for a few years. The issue boils down to this: Should some websites (YouTube, for example) be able to pay internet service providers (Time Warner Cable, for example) to have their videos load faster than other their competitors videos. The cable companies and other internet service providers are against net neutrality while many consumer advocates are for it. The latest news is that President Obama has come out strongly in favor of internet neutrality. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Are you for or against net neutrality? Why?

•Can government be trusted to run the Internet for the public good?

•Can corporations be trusted to run the Internet for the public good?

•Does net neutrality matter to you?

Shamwow in the Times

Great news organizations have spent many decades building up reputations for reporting on important topics in accurate, even-handed and meaningful ways. Now, in a desperate attempt to lure online advertisers, some of those news organizations are running paid links that look a lot like news stories. They are actually ads. Does this cheapen the integrity of news organizations, or is this simply what advertising has become? NPR reports.

Questions...

•Describe "The Wall" from the newspaper industry chapter.

•Does the type of advertising discussed here weaken "The Wall"?

•Does this type of ad make the advertiser seem more trustworthy?

•Does this put any additional pressure on news sites to make sure their advertisers are trustworthy?

•Do you find this type of ad more objectionable or less objectionable than traditional advertising?